By Gerri Miller
Staff Writer
The COVID-19 crisis may have slowed down but hasn’t stopped any of Prattville’s economic development projects and the City is weathering the financial storm well, says Mayor Bill Gillespie.
“We put some financial safety nets in place to help us get through this.” We took steps to control spending and protect our employees,” he said.
One of those nets included the City Council passing a resolution that allowed emergency sick leave to be given to both full-time and part-time City employees.
Another resolution passed allows the Mayor and the City ‘s departments to record the additional expenses incurred as a result of COVID-19 and seek reimbursement as allowed by state and federal laws.
“The resolution changed the protocol on how we operate day to day in the City and gave us internal steps to control spending and protect our employees,” Mayor Gillespie said.
Net sales tax revenues for March came in at $2.2 million. There was a $1.1 decrease in gross tax receipts totaling $25,627.68. “Under the circumstances we are looking good,” Mayor Gillespie said. Next month’s numbers, however, should give the clearest indication of how the City is weathering the storm.
He said the City has not laid off any employees and has been able to help the local economy. “We hire seasonal people that help with our projects throughout the city,” he said.
The City’s economic development projects are still moving forward, albeit slowly, Mayor Gillespie said. The James Hardie project has already had a ribbon cutting and is still moving along. The company has built a fiber-cement building products manufacturing facility in Prattville and is now going through its hiring process, he said.
An analysis by the Alabama Department of Commerce indicates the James Hardie plant will have a significant economic impact in Prattville, which has around 34,000 residents. The plant’s jobs will pay an average wage of $25.80 per hour, and the facility’s 20-year cumulative payroll is currently projected to top $200 million.
Mayor Gillespie said construction on the State Health Lab has slowed a bit. Construction on the $30 million project is ongoing in Prattville’s Legends Park at HomePlace. It will take up 12 acres overlooking the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. When finished, the training center will employ approximately 175 full-time staffers and will be used to train Alabama Department of Public Health staff statewide and house other ADPH bureaus.
Mayor Gillespie said the Prattville City Council intends to have its first regular meeting today since the COVID-19 crisis. He said the Council will be discussing another significant economic development project which will benefit a current corporate partner.
He said the City has worked with several small businesses who have reached out for federal assistance. The City also put signs up in front of downtown eateries to indicate the parking spots were for curbside pickup service.
“We have to instill confidence and show support for our small businesses,” Mayor Gillespie said, “We are going to be as flexible as we can be to help everyone stay in business.”
He said the City also partnered with Baptist Health by providing its Fire Training Center on County Road 4 for the hospital to test people for COVID-19. The Prattville Care Clinic has screened more than 450 people for the disease since March 16.
The City also worked with big box stores by sending employees to walk them through the do’s and don’ts of doing business during the Pandemic. “We tried to give them guidance,” Mayor Gillespie said. “We can’t do everything for them, but we can direct them in the right areas.” The Police and Fire departments worked with several stores to keep them in compliance with state and federal mandates.
Mayor Gillespie said City Hall is still open to the public, but those seeking entrance must call the number of the department they want to visit. There is a list of telephone numbers to use on the front door. He said the city’s previous remodeling project has paid off during the current health crisis.
“We did a major renovation of City Hall which protected our employees,” he said. “Most employees are now behind glass barriers. We did have to close a few openings with plexiglass because of COVID-19.”
He said the various departments of the city have been publishing videos that either show what the department is doing or provide useful information for the public. The Parks and Recreation Department published a video showing their efforts to get the town clean and beautiful as well get the pool ready for the summer. The Vehicle Maintenance Division shared preventive tips that you can do at home to help extend the life of your car.
He encouraged people to go online to get things such as permits or submit house plans. “We know that it is a tough time for people in trades such as carpentry or roofing. We are here to make sure these permits and inspections can be done in a timely manger while protecting employees,” he said.
Mayor Gillespie said he also has a “ready room” meeting room for when Parks and Recreation can open summer attractions such the pool and the splash pad.
He said the whole experience has been a culture change. ‘It really makes you realize what you’ve taken for granted,” he said.
